The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-05
PREPARATIONS FOR WAR
THE BLOODY CITIZENS OF TWO
zap TOWNS
Walking, Standing and Sleeping With
Guns and Determined to Engage
la Deadly Conflict.

DENVER, Col, March A Wallace
Kas J special says: The situation in
the Coronado Leoti war remains I'M
changed. Both towns are surrounded
by a strong GORDON of armed men, who
permit no ooe to enter. TIE men in
both towns 81, ep with their guns. and
after gsiBing sdmi' sion a stranger
tnds a Winchester r he at every turn.
They stand in doorwsys, and mer-
chants carry their guns while they
wait on customers. Men patrol the
streets Of the town ell day and night.
The country surrounding is as excited
as the towns aud about equally di-
vided. Coronado sympath,zers are,
for the most part, il town with their
ammunition and guue, and the Cor
onado men said today that within an
hour 500 men could be Te cruited in the
town ready TO defend the town with
their lives At Leoti the cry is IRE.
veneep The citizens are as excited
as they we're on the day following the
shooting, and they are unanimous in
their determination to sack Coro-
nado at the first opportunity.
This wills probably be offered
Thursday night, when the county
election occurs. Immediately after
the shooting Sunday some men from
Lsoti came TO Wallace and secured all
the guns aud ammunition they could
get, and representatives Of Coronado
paid similar visits to Garden City.
The two towns are we'll equipped
with ammunition for war, which every
man believes will occur before the
thing is settled. The Leoti populs-
tion, which has been recruited by
their county cohorts, are looked to for
the first move, and the Coronado men
will act on the d, fensive. Each town
has its plane, but they are in too cha.
otto a state for forecast Of the p oba-
BILE result. Whisky and beer are freely
imbibed, and these will he at the bot
tom of further trouble, should there
be any. County Sheriff John Edwards,
who is a Leoti man, has not made an
attempt to arrest the murderers, as he
knows that such effort would cost him
his life. He has twelve warrants, but
unless the State authorities lend him
the assistance of q couple OF comps-
mics of militia, they will never be
served, and even in that case the Cor
onado men say the shooters will never
be taken alive.
Charlie Coulter and Bill Raynes, the
ringleaders of the Leoti crowd, went
ever to Coronado on Sunday morning
and drank considerable beer and
whisky. Cou ter, who was a des-
perado OF the worst type, prom 'sed to
return the beer consumed. He and
Raynes returned to Lsoti, got the
beer and five companions (only three
of whom we're ann d), and returned
in a wagon and buggy. They visited
a druggist, who was sick in bed, and
made him get up. Coulter ordered
him to dance a jig at the point of his
gun, but failed to make him obey.
The druggist offered to treat If Coulter
would lower his gun, and the offer
was accepted. The men then went
into the street and, according to the
story, began shooting unfortunately.
Coulter did most of the firing. A
Coronado man named Jackson got In
Coulter's way and was struck over the
head with the butt of Coulter's gun.
The Loomis brothers interiered and
requested the Leoti men to stop abus-
ing citizens. On reply, Coulter turned
on Loomis and struck at him, per-
forming an old plainemsn's trick, by
hitting Bob LOOMS over the head and
shooting John Loomis in the leg at the
same time. John was standing back of
Bob and as Coulter fred he eprsng fo:-
ward and clinched with him. The
Leoti crowd, according to the story OF
the Coronado men, then began firing
at two citizens who were running up
the street. A dozan Coronado men
who had gathered in store then
opened fire, and Coulter seemed to bear
a charmed life. The firing only con-
tinued moment, and when the smoke
cleared away Raynes, Coulter and
Watkins, who were on the pavement,
had fallen dead. The other men were
in the wagon and James Duuning
and Johnson we're seriously injured.
A. N. Borey, the seventh man OF the
Leoti crowd, escaped without injury.